Forum Topic

Guy Lambert

Call me a sycophant if you will, but I have enjoyed Guy Lambert's regular and entertaining posts over the years. Indeed, I regard him as a decent chap -even though I disagree with his views - far too lefty politically biased! Yet, he was on the ball with an issue I had some years ago - and for that he stepped up to the plate. So he's the salt of the earth to me, and a councillor of distinction! I won't hear a bad word against him. A fine fellow indeed!

Paul Brownlee ● 776d43 Comments

I agree.You could be called a sycophant.

Keith Iddon ● 776d

Fans of Guy will be able to sing his praises at the BRENTFORD & SYONAREA FORUM this evening at the London Musical Museum at 399,Brentford High Street starting at 6.30 pm."Meet local people and services":(information stalls?)6.30pm to 7.30pm."Group talk about local themes and action(hear from the developers... GSK, TESCO/HOMEBASE, & BALLYMORE" 7.30pm till 9.30pm.The Hounslow Council A5 leaflet says"meet new people and enjoy FREE food and refreshments. Area forums are popular and fun" !!

Jim Lawes ● 773d

PS: No need to registeror book in ... just turn up!

Jim Lawes ● 773d

A whole hour!Gosh, that's so accomodating of them.

Keith Iddon ● 772d

The meeting is two hours (7.30-9.30p.m.) as clearly stated in Jim's entry with an hour given over to some kind of community market place beforehand (6.30-7.30p.m. should you need clarification).

Anne England ● 772d

My  bad.

Keith Iddon ● 772d

Nothing sycophantic about praising a councillor who clearly puts in a lot of extra effort than most, works hard for his constituents and has a sense of humour. Like the OP, I disagree with a good proportion of what he says but at least he makes an appearance unlike another Brentford councillor who is almost never seen and didn't turn up to the Area Forum.

Kenneth Seally ● 770d

Can't argue with that, but it begs the question why the hell the Labour Group, Leader and Chief Whip have all failed to take action against the missing councillor, who nevertheless keeps taking the (considerable) money. I thought councillors had to, at the very least, attend one meeting every six months? No good Cllr. Bowring ducking the question with his mealy-mouthed excuses, they are all complicit in this scandal and they could and should be sorting it out, the means are there. Why are the ward members not kicking up a stink? They presumably had a hand in selecting this person to stand for election, this brings the whole local Labour party into disrepute.

Vanessa Smith ● 769d

Syon and Brentford Lock members would have had a hand in selecting the Councillor - I think that's correct (not particularly strong on procedure). Certainly, as a Brentford West member, I could only be present and vote for which Brentford West Councillors to put forward.I agree re the missing Councillor. Trouble is, in the end you can only take people at face value. Why something hasn't been done about the situation since is another matter.

Anne England ● 769d

He’s clearly got mates in high places, which is why he’s not been booted out. Anyone who has followed LBH politics in recent years will know how it works. Patronage is never to be underestimated.

Simon Hayes ● 769d

Which absent councillor are you talikng about?

Keith Iddon ● 769d

"I have known Guy Lambert since early 2015, when I returned from a long time service over seas It was a refreshing change to read this forum, and realise that here was someone who really considered his job as a local councillor, he was the ONLY member of the Hounslow council, whom I was able read his blog and eventually made the point of getting to meet him personally. Whilst we have differences of opinion in many political matters, my understanding of him as a Gentleman is very solid and I have admired the work he puts in on our behalf. "

P.J. Weaver ● 768d

Guy Lambert's blog should be the model for any local Councillor ,how often do you hear the moan " we never hear from any of the Councillors" Keep up the good work.

David Burke ● 768d

Guy and I are almost diametrically opposed politically, but I take my hat off to any councillor who at least attempts to engage with those who elected him/ her.Sadly, all too rare as many cannot see beyond the bottom of the trough in which their nose is firmly buried.

N V Brooks ● 768d

As you probably know ... there are 6 Councillors representing Brentford.Why don't the other five report on their week on a rotation basis?As satisfied as most people seem to be with Guy's weekly reports, I feel that he skimps over the much of what we should be hearing about.For example he mentions that he attends the West London Waste Authority meeting but he gives no feedback.Similary he says he's attended a Lampton 360 management meeting.Once again no feedback  mentioned in his Report.He reported that he went to a BRAG meeting (Brentford Recycling Action Group) and they went to the Pub afterwards. No feedback or observations to give to readers.Yet on the Chiswick W4 forum,where Councillors report on a rotating basis, we read Councillor John Todd's "forensic" report on Lampton 360 matters that that organisation is not fulfilling it's purpose to make make money to go back to the Council's Coffers.Similarly, Councillor McGregor in Chiswick often reports shortcomings in the Council Activities ... but not a whisper from Guy.He may excell in dealing with "homeless matters" or those pertaining to accommodation ...but he fail in his "Executive job to give precise information about recycling ... a subject of much interest to me.Let's hear from these other 5 councillors and stop shortchanging us.

Jim Lawes ● 768d

I totally agree with the tenor of this topic. Guy is one of the councillors who really does care about doing a good job. After nearly 9 years in central Brentford (does that excuse my 40+ years in Kew?) I regard him as a pillar of the community. Keep up the good work, Guy! And of course inactive councillors should be ejected.

Eric Baker ● 766d

Ah yes the missing 6 have done the most fantastic job of stopping the FairviewPile driving misery in Brentford. I would imagine Guy Lambert has his earplugs in to the complaints.

David Cook ● 764d

The six aren't missing. It's the one - get it right.

Anne England ● 763d

Ha ha, splitting hares again are we Anne? U are the won who needs to get it right. Its irrelevant weather its one or six, fact is they have ALL been inept in dealing with Fairview homes and thats despite LBH serving a planning breach to Fairview back in August. I know many BD residents are Fewming with the lack of transparency from their local Councillors and LBH replies to their legitimate concerns over excessive noise and vibration levels to their properties.Meanwhile the hammering continues in Brentford …….  Now wear is my spell checkkar.

David Cook ● 763d

A few residents (not in my ward but where I live) have contacted me about the noise from the works there. Dan Bowring and Katherine Dunne have also been involved with this.Dan and I met with a number of senior people from Fairview and of course have raised it with planning.We were told that the level of noise was within the regulations and the planning permission. Planning and the enforcement team continue to monitor closely and the impact of that is apparent to anyone who lives nearby.We persuaded (mainly one of the boat dwellers who led on this, with Dan and my support) Fairview to publish and update a dedicated website. I wrote a couple of days ago and urged them to update it, as they have now done. https://www.fairview.co.uk/brentford-residents/Of course, those of us who live very near to this (me included) would like this to be quieter and over quicker and the latest update suggests we are nearly there.I have responded to anyone who has raised this, as has Dan, so the suggestion that there is a lack of transparency is a good example of how social media convey an inaccurate message.

Guy Lambert ● 762d

Another lame reply from Cllr Lambert. LBH are getting “Hammered” by their own admission by Brentford Dock residents about the noise and vibration from Fairview piling works. Weak Cllrs incapable of sorting Fairview out despite them being served with breach of planning conditions.

David Cook ● 721d

Don’t worry, in a couple of years everything will have ground to a halt as the Red Tories economic policies finish the job Truss started. Strange how the Lamebert blogs now avoid any mention of unpopular government policies. Perhaps old Guy is too busy flapping his arms around to keep warm now he’s losing his Winter Fuel Allowance and simply can’t keep up!

Simon Hayes ● 721d

Like Brentford Voice and other Community organisations, Guy, Hounslow Council is also unrepresentative being composed largely of people well over the age of 21! Oh for some bright young things.....Hazel Dakers

Hazel Dakers ● 720d

‘… the level of noise was within the regulations and the planning permission‘Really? If that is the case, the ‘regulations’ and ‘permission’ were not fit for purpose. The incessant noise and disturbance has blighted the past weeks and months. Had the real ‘impact’ (if you’ll excuse the pun) of the works been made explicit, no one would have agreed to it. Completely unacceptable.I started a thread on this some time ago and received a response from the Good Councillor kicking off with ‘Change always has some downsides’. You don’t say? Surely not? ‘Improving’ bits Brentford in the hope of attracting new residents shouldn’t come at the cost of spoiling everything for those of us already here.

Tracie Dudley Craig ● 720d

More ramblings from Lambert today. Nobody is really interested in his opinion on Boris Johnson. They might be interested to know what his views are on keeping the child benefit cap, scrapping the winter fuel allowance and the hike in NI contribution for employers, all of which directly affect those people he puppets to represent.Of course, like a good party apparatchik he won’t bite the hand that feeds (and clearly clearly feeds well). Rather like Sadiq Khan, who must be seething about the conditions attached to his budget settlement, he keeps schtum in the hope that it will be forgotten in time. It won’t be.

Simon Hayes ● 720d

Like a 'puppet' on a string?

Anne England ● 720d

Simon you forgot APD which will have a huge affect on the Airline industry and being one of the biggest employers in the Borough a huge affect on local jobs and the amount of people travelling!How does that square with Labour telling everyone a couple of weeks back Britain is open for Business and trying to attract overseas investment?

David Cook ● 720d

Yes well for good and ill the APB rate was not affected by the budget, though the changes announced by the previous 'government' were endorsed.I should be flattered by the attention Simon Hayes from Ealing pays to my 'ramblings'. The people who talk to me seem to like them and I'm always happy when people from elsewhere obviously enjoy them too, if only to pique their ennui with life.

Guy Lambert ● 720d

I think Tracie in her previous post hit the nail on the head very nicely. She summed up what the problems are and have been. We have many more years of this disruption in Brentford and it’s hardly benefitting any of the current residents! What I am seeing is a huge overdevelopment of the area without any public facilities for us! It is truly hideous now the scale of all this is being revealed with the monstrous high rises and dense buildings.As I have mentioned before the LBH planning committee should be truly ashamed what they have allowed to be built.

David Cook ● 719d

Guy lambert sits in his Brentford bubble, seemingly incapable of understanding that quite a lot of people from across the ‘border’ live nearer Brentford than Ealing Broadway. Of course, he and his Red Tory chums are making it less of a destination week on week. Is that the plan? Keep out the non natives.Of course, he ridges the question about Labour policies, as do all his political allies. All the people I’ve spoken to and pretty much all the media think Laboirvare going about things in the wrong way. Even Chris Mason of the BBC (normally very sympathetic to Starmer) called the election promises on tax‘baloney’. Maybe Lambert eats a lot of baloney. He seems happy to dish it up for everyone else.

Simon Hayes ● 718d

He probably mention  that the Boroughs Population is swelling by 30,000 in the next 5 years and they need affordable Housing here. Well thats a complete joke. There is not a single property in the Ballymore Development under 700K! Its unaffordable for the locals and its mostly overseas investors with Buy to lets and Air BNBs. How does all this fit in with their net zero goals ? Its total Tauro Poo Poo.

David Cook ● 718d

Where do you get that most of the Ballymore flats are owned by overseas' investors with buy to lets and Air BnBs? You could be right - just asking where you get the info.I know two local people who live in the new flats - one is a renter and one a buyer.

Anne England ● 718d

I know somebody who works there and when I walk to Morrisons I have been asked on occasion  “where is” and they have had travel cases. As you mention I also know a resident in the Hollandbury block who used to live here on the Dock.

David Cook ● 718d

Investing in Ballymore'sBrentford Project" was on the agendaat several investment clubs in the Fast East.At the Asian Investors' Club in Singapore for starters.Those investors might have needed to borrow there locally to join in the bonanza of investing in Brentford.Of course our local Estate Agents have probably been able to join in... by introducing tenants, providing a management service and maybe selling the Leasehold at a future date.In the meantime Brentford locals here are puzzled.The last straw for me is for John & Co to move into the ground floor of the old Magistrate's Court ... the balcony in front now presumably out of bounds!

Jim Lawes ● 718d

Thanks Jim for that interesting info, I was wrong on the £700k figure as there are some properties over there for around £450K. Not cheap but only 1 bedroom at that.

David Cook ● 718d

How funny that Lamberts blog last week generated a complaint from within the Red Tory ranks that it was ‘uncomradely’ (whatever that’s supposed to mean). Ironic that usually he’s trying to prove that nothing is ever the fault of socialists, even when they’ve been running things for years.Of course, last week he blathered on about wealthy farmers being upset about the budget, which really has very little relevance to this part of London. His land assertions that everybody he spoke to about the tax hikes were unconcerned sounds hollow, especially as plenty of employers have publicly stated that it will negatively impact business and jobs. That will include Brentford, despite what Guy says.Lambert is right to be sceptical about the new Waterman’s, but then he should perhaps have been more critical when he had a cost seat on the board of trustees, rather than be complicit in the running down of the venue. Most of us have been scriptural about everything promised in Brentford and elsewhere. Rightly so, it seems.

Simon Hayes ● 706d

So nice to see Simon still poring over my blog each week looking for things to complain about. He is progressing from complaining exclusively about cycling which is his normal trade. He is a bit bored I think.I am really flattered by his attention even if his level of understanding has a lot of space for improvement.

Guy Lambert ● 706d

Guy, if you do  a blog you put yourself on offer for people to respond how they wish,and some of Simon's points are quite relevant and no doubt some of us agree with those.

Keith Iddon ● 705d

Careful Guy, people might think you are being disloyal.You see the difference between you and me is that I’m not told what to think by other people, then realise quite a few years later that it’s wrong. Hopefully you’ll have plenty of dotage to reflect on the mistakes you’ve made over the years.You do seem to have a very selective memory, which might be an age thing. Your abysmal efforts at engaging with the crowds outside the Waterman’s when it closed had nothing to do with cycling. It just showed you up as a prejudiced and self-important individual. You dismissed the things others said at the time, yet now seem to be keen to be agreeing with what they said. Strange.Brentford isn’t your personal fiefdom. Nor is it exclusively for the use of people residing in TW8 (otherwise you’d be denouncing the results of the latest cycleway consultation’). Perhaps you’ll develop a bit more comprehension now you are not a cabinet member, although nobody will hold their breath on that.If you must blog then you must expect criticism. You give it out when you like, so grow a pair and take it too.Political careers inevitably end in failure. You’ve just got there a bit quicker than some.

Simon Hayes ● 705d

Well -I've heard a few bad words against him here since my original post. I started so I'll finish. I think he's a fine fellow indeed!

Paul Brownlee ● 701d

Good for you. He’s probably okay, just his political club and his cycling cult make him come across as preachy, condescending and narrow minded. Although his recent ostracism from the Labour mainstream in hounslow has seen him (gasp) dare to question things, notably the Waterman’s redevelopment.Strange how he’s now echoing what others have been saying for a long time, when his original position in April was to defend the council and the arts trust. I believe it’s known as a ‘reverse ferret’ in Private Eye.

Simon Hayes ● 701d

I was only referring to the person not the politics. He's clearly a Marmite person - although other yeast extracts are available, but cheaper, inferior and with less substance.

Paul Brownlee ● 701d

I doubt he will be selected as a Labour candidate at the next election. He appears not to be flavour of the month with his local party. Loyalty to the brand is the only thing that matters, even if it makes you sick.Hard to separate the person from the politics in most cases, whether left or right.

Simon Hayes ● 701d